Pleat pincher



ATTORN E YS T. P. THoMPsoN PLEAT PINCHER Filed May 2,' 1951 April 7, 1953 Patented Apr. 7, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE PLEAT PINCHER Thomas Paul Thompson, Little Rock, Ark.

Application May 2, 1951, Serial No. 224,085

4 Claims. l

This invention relates to an improved means for forming pleats, particularly in material used in connection with upholstery or for decorative purposes, although it may have a more extended utility wherever it `is desired to form pleats.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved pleat pincher by means of which the pleats will be regularly held effectively without the necessity of sewing the fabric or otherwise securing it.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a pleat pincher construction which will further be effective as a stiffener for the pleats.

Further objects will more particularly appear in the course of the following detailed description.

The invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combinations of parts hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

One sheet of drawings accompanies this specification as part thereof, in which like reference characters indicate like parts throughout.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a valance provided with groups of pleats formed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the upper part of the same valance showing the arrangement of my improved pleat pincher;

Figure 3 is a plan view of my improved pleat pincher prior to association with the fabric which is to be pleated; and

Figure 4 isa fragmentary cross section taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2.

In the drawing accompanying this specification my invention is shown in detail and also as applied to a valance, such as is commonly used over window or door openings.

In the drawing the valance proper is indicated by the letter V. The pleats are indicated by the letter P.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated my improved pleat pincher comprises a stiffener in the form of an elongated strip l which is formed with one or more longitudinally extending lines of spaced holes 2. The holes 2 are arranged in pairs,the holes of each pair being spaced apart sufciently so that one hole of each pair will coincide with the other in opposite sides of each pleat. The pairs of holes are spaced apart corresponding to the width of the two sides of a pleat and, as herein illustrated, the pairs of holes are arranged in groups corresponding to the manner in which the pleats are to be arranged, as may be desired.

A cord 3 herein shown as continuous, although it may readily be associated with the strip I in segments as desired, is threaded through the aligned holes 2, as is well illustrated in Figure 3.

In applying the improved pleat pincher to the material forming the drape, the stiffening strip l is secured to the back face of the fabric as by stitching 6, and thereafter the cord 3 is cut intermediate each of the groups of holes indicated by the letters a, b and c, and by drawing the ends of each of these cords which extend through the aligned holes of each group, the stiifening strip and the associated fabric are drawn into pleats and held in such drawn position by fastening the cords 3 by knots 4, as illustrated.

It will be apparent that if only narrow pleats are desired, a single line of aligned holes may be used, or any number, depending upon the depth of the pleat desired.

For convenience, the stifener strip I may be conveniently provided with transverse fold lines 5 extending intermediate the holes of each pair of holes and also intermediate the pairs of holes,

-as is indicated in Figure 3. Such preliminarily formed fold lines will assist in the formation of the pleats, although the provision of such fold lines is not essential as the drawing of the cords will with the aid of the operators fingers readily draw the material into its pleated form.

Modifications of the arrangement of the longitudinal lines of holes, the cords, and the character of the material from which the strip is formed, will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art to conform with the particular job in hand.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. Pleat pincher comprising an elongated strip formed with horizontally spaced groups of holes, each group having a plurality of aligned holes arranged in pairs, the holes of each pair being spaced apart vertically, the horizontal space between pairs corresponding to the depth of the pleats desired, the holes being further arranged in horizontal pairs, the holes of each horizontal pair being slightly spaced apart and the horizontal pairs respectively lying at adjacent edges of the pleats in opposite faces thereof, and a separate cord threaded through the holes of each group, each cord capable when drawn of pleating the strip in the area covered by the group of holes, and the ends of the cord being tied together to form a loop, the tied ends of all of the cords forming a plurality of horizontally aligned loops.

2. Pleat pincher comprising an elongated strip formed with horizontally spaced groups of holes, each group having a plurality of aligned holes arranged in pairs, the holes of each pair being spaced apart vertically, the horizontal space between pairs corresponding to the depth of the pleats desired, the holes being further arranged in horizontal pairs, the holes of each horizontal pair being slightly spaced apart and the horizontal pairs respectively lying at adjacent edges of the pleats in 'opposite faces thereof, and a separate cord threaded through the holes of each group, each cord passing through the upper and lower pairs of holes of the group and having its free ends tied toform a continuous loop, each cord capable when drawn of pleating the strip in the area covered by the group of holes, and the ends of each cord loop when drawn being tied together, the tied ends of the cord loops 'of Iall of the groups forming a plurality of horizontally aligned hanging loops.

'3.- In a pleat pincher as claimed in claim 2, said elongated strip being sewn to the upper edge of a length of drapery material.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the .le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 12,063,332 Niese Dec. 8, 1936 2,350,094 g Butts May 30, 1944 '2,518,301 French et al. Aug. 8, 1950 2,524,958 Calvani Oct. 10, 1950 2,573,441 Hess Oct. 30, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 7,108 Great Britain Mar. 24, 1906 

